RCHD, A Torched Flower
by TheWardtortle
Summary: Caira Torchwick, the adopted daughter of Roman Torchwick, has aided her father in Vale's criminal underworld for years. But with the arrival of Cinder Fall, everything changed. Beacon-bound, Caira now has to deal with her own team and others, all the while furthering Cinder's plans. Original Team RCHD (Orchid). Dark themes and strong language.
1. Caira

**Hello hello, I return with a new fanfic.**

 **I'll talk more after this first chapter, enjoy!**

* * *

 **7 Years before RWBY:**

Peeking from my observation point on the roof, I surveyed Vale's night-life. Most nights the streets were quiet, apart from the drunks and party-goers. Yet tonight, an unusual man swaggered down the street. Wearing a white suit and a bowler hat over his orange hair, he smoked on an expensive looking cigar. Expensive meant he had money, money I would politely borrow. Drawing back from the edge of the roof, I leapt to the drain pipe connected to the adjacent building. Catching it and quickly lowering myself onto the dumpster bin below, I stalked my mark from alley to alley. Witnessing him twirl his cane and gaze at the stars, I made my move. Swiftly I snuck up behind him, avoiding the cane spinning in his fingers. Reaching into a pocket, my small hand met a wad of Lien notes. Drawing it out I turned and ran, having hit the jackpot.

Suddenly a cane handle was around my throat, choking me as I ran into it. "Tsk. You know it is wrong to steal little girl." I looked over my shoulder, meeting the dark green eyes of my mark. When did he notice me?! I've never been caught in the act before! "So, what am I going to do with you?" His voice was calm, smooth, and condescending. I gave him an answer as I swapped the notes for a shiv from my ragged pants, slashing at his face. He dodged casually, but allowed for me to break free. Sprinting down the alleyway I had emerged from, I rushed to climb the pipes. If I could reach the rooftops I was home free.

*CLICK*

A loud whirring sounded from behind me, followed by a wrenching force. Concrete met me as I lost my grip. The pain was worse than anything I had felt before, minor scrapes and cuts were nothing to the cracking pain of blunt trauma. I screamed out in pain, unable to move fully as my body was shattered. Tears rolled down my face as I looked up through blurry eyes. Above me stood the man, clicking his cane's handle back into place. Kneeling down, he ripped the notes free of my clothing coldly.

"Let this be a lesson you can spread around town girly. No-one steals from Roman Torchwick." The suave voice was now bitter, forcing me to hide my face in fear of the man. Broken, dying, and scared I made one last attempt to survive.

Grabbing his ankle with weakly, I begged the man, "H…help me… please."

"Sorry kid, the world is cruel. I'm not going to be your white knight 'cause you asked nicely." Lectured Roman, seemingly uncaring. I buried my face into the ground. It was the end. Or I thought so as darkness took me.

* * *

 **Unknown time later:**

" _For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee."_

Words that I did not understand echoed through my mind as light seeped into reality. The voice that spoke them was familiar, but not the most important thing on my mind. I had been dying, last I remembered. Was I in the afterlife? Could I go find my parents? Why do I feel so strong?

"Well isn't that a miracle." A voice, the same as the words, the same as… Roman! I jumped up, yelping as pain shocked my whole body. Watching from the far side of the room was Roman Torchwick, the man I tried to pickpocket. Sat in a large, battered leather chair with a glass of brown, see-through liquid, the man did nothing. Senses recovering one by one, I panicked. I was stuck with a man I thought left me for dead. I checked every corner of the room from where I had propped myself up on a… bed? Confused did not give justice to how I felt.

"I'm no doctor but…" Roman quipped from his chair. Reaching for his cane, he pushed up from the chair. Seeing the metal contraption he wielded scared me. I remembered the cold feeling of the handle wrapped around my throat. Slowly Roman took steps towards me, fearing what came next I backed up into the corner, crossing my arms painfully to cover my face. Looming over me, Roman finished his sentence. "… I'd say I did a pretty good job." Lowering my arms enough to peer over them, I witnessed a warm smile form on his face.

"Why?" I asked hoarsely, my throat sore and dry.

"Even though the world is cruel kid, I felt sorry for you. You've been on the streets for a while if you can sneak up on me." The glass Roman held dangled in front of my face. "Drink it, it's all I've got for now." Gingerly taking the glass, I sipped the liquid and swallowed. Instantly my throat burned, making me cough and sputter. Roman laughed at my reaction.

"H-how can you drink this?!" The burning sensation lingered as Roman took back the glass.

"Practice kiddo, something you'll be doing a lot of once you're better."

"What kind of practice?" I asked.

"Well if I'm going to run this city's underworld and cause chaos, I need someone to help me get started." Setting down the glass, Roman dramatically spun round and pointed his cane at me. "And that person is… you." Gently poking me with the cane to emphasise his point.

"Why would I help you?"

"Oh it's not like you owe me your life for say… trying to steal from me and me saving your life." Roman retorted sarcastically. I had no response, he was right. Dropping my head, I frowned.

A hand ruffled my hair. "Don't worry your pretty little head. You and I are gonna do just fine. Plus I can give you things you have only dreamt of."

Instinctively I blurted out what I have always wanted. "Parents?"

Roman looked at me, his face betraying genuine confusion and pity. "Uh..." Turning his back to me, he rubbed his chin in thought and muttered to himself. "Ah why the hell not." Spinning back round, Roman smiled. "I guess if it makes you happy I can adopt you kiddo." I could not control myself at what Roman said. Leaping up to try and hug him, I stumbled and fell. Instead of meeting the floor, I was suspended above it. Glancing round I saw Roman holding me up.

"Jeez kid, was the offer that bad? I mean I'm not exactly best father material but-" He shut up as I finally hugged him tightly round the neck. Perhaps a little too tightly. "Hey… kid… can't breathe…" Realising I was choking him I let go, backing off and hanging my head. An odd sensation dripped down my face. Tears. Tears of joy. Roman was going to adopt me! I would have a father!

Straightening his suit out, Roman knelt to meet my eye level. "A real bundle of emotions aren't we?" Locking eyes, he ruffled my hair once more. "So what do I call you? Silver?"

"C-Caira." I replied, wiping my face dry.

Smiling, Roman picked me up bridal style and set me down on the bed. "Caira eh? I guess that makes you Caira Torchwick, daughter of the amazing criminal Roman Torchwick."

* * *

 **3 years later:**

"COME BACK HERE BITCH!"

My lungs burned, heaving for air as I weaved through streets and alleyways. I could hear the fat thuds of the thug sprinting behind me.

 _Dammit dad, I thought you knew better!_ The hustle had gone wrong, my father made a mistake in trusting our contact. Now our fake Lien notes had been destroyed and I was on the run from a hulking thug. Hoping to lose him in the docks, I ran between the towers of containers. But that was a mistake, instead of losing him, I found myself lost in a maze of metal. Breaking the line of sight I hid between some smaller containers, breathing as quietly as I could. Fresh sea air and the stench of fish filled my nostrils with each breath. I needed to keep my lips sealed shut to avoid detection. A minute passed as I heard the screams of my pursuer fade into the distance.

Squeezing out of my hiding place, I tiptoed quietly amongst the containers. Knowing my father, he had dealt with things on his end. Two years training had improved my skills greatly, but I was nowhere near his level. Reaching the wall of a warehouse, I scaled up the wall using ledges, pipes and flaws in the brick. Noticing a shutter ajar, I pried it open. Sliding inside with my small frame, I sank down onto the metal catwalk and sighed in relief. Away from the stench and the screaming thug I could think clearly. Scenarios and plans rattled off in my head. What hideout should I go to? What would dad do? The questions and possibilities were too many to think over. Walking down the metal steps to a side door, I unlocked it and slipped out quietly. Turning from the door, a boot met my chest, launching me back onto the ground.

Both impacts hurt, even with my Aura shielding me. Getting up onto my hands and knees, the same boot connected with my side. Rolling along the floor, I got occasional glimpses of my attacker. It was the same thug I escaped moments before.

"Ya think I wouldn't notice ya clamberin' up the wall bitch?" Spat the thug, pinning me to the ground with a foot and his body weight.

"Well… there is a reason you don't run a syndicate." I quipped mockingly. If I had picked up anything from my father, it was his sarcasm and love of the dramatic. The thug snarled, pressing more of his weight down on my midriff. "Then again… your boss wasn't smart in clothing choice. No wonder nobody fears you, who wears light blue?" A vice-grip wrapped around my throat, lifting me off my feet. Instinctively gripping his hand, I stared aggressively into the thug's eyes.

"Like I care, ya little shit. Looks don't mean anythin' when you die, runt."

Struggling to get out the words while being choked, I reached for my knife hidden under my coat. "Ya know buddy… I'm going to… kill you." Losing the breath to speak more, I stabbed into the back of his hand, twisting the blade to increase the pain. Screaming, the thug let go, allowing me to drop onto my feet. Watching the man clutch his hand in horror sickened me. Unlike Roman, who enjoyed to mercilessly beat on his victims with Melodic Cudgel, I preferred clean, swift kills. Having to observe a person crawl and beg for their life reminded me of the first time I killed. I had cried as I saw a girl only a few years older than me lie crushed under debris. She pleaded for me to save her, but I could not. The suffering haunts me still, even after I slid my knife into her heart as an act of mercy.

Returning to the thug, slowly recovering from the stab, I dashed forward. He backpedalled, trying to gain distance and prepare. Futile was his effort, my speed was enhanced by Aura, matching a fully grown man. I aimed for his throat, puncturing cleanly into his flesh. Blood flowed over the blade and onto my hand. Initially blood made me sick, but a cruel world required no hesitations with killing. Over time the sadness and regret faded with each kill. I was not devoid of emotion, I could just kill those who deserved it without remorse. Waiting for the thug's gaze to empty of life, I yanked on my knife, a small blade and flimsy blade, but better than a shiv. After so many lives had been taken with it though, the blade shattered as I pulled awkwardly.

"Tsk. Looks like I can add a new weapon to my list of needs." I mumbled to myself. Flipping the handle in my hand, I flinged it into the bay with a small plop as it sank underwater. Taking one last look at the thug, I spat at his corpse. I really liked that knife. A botched deal, a chase through the city and a broken knife. _Dad better make this up to me._

* * *

 **1 year before the events of RWBY:**

Vale was serene at night, calming to my soul. Too bad it won't be for long. Six years spent building up my father's reputation. Six years lying, stealing, cheating and surviving. Infrequent hiccups led to my father being jailed on multiple occasions, but his insistence on me acting behind the scenes kept me anonymous. Not only did it work well for me, it benefitted my father too, and that made me happy. Rumours of 'Roman's Reaper' began amongst the criminal underworld a few years back, gaining infamy for the now crime boss. Eventually I became an urban myth, denied in existence by the police and feared by the people of Vale. I felt a buzzing as my scroll went off in my trench coat. Not the most inconspicuous clothing I know, especially when it is white with inner red trim, but it hides the equally suspicious black bodysuit beneath. Given that I worked mainly as an assassin for my father, it was functional and fitting.

Across the city, a siren blared alongside my scroll buzzing. I answered the call unhappily. "Look, before you scold me… they _might_ have planned to backstab from the beginning. It wasn't me I swear!" Roman, my father, had once again let his flamboyant ego break down criminal negotiations.

Rolling my eyes, I replied sarcastically. "Ugh… sure they did. You owe me a drink and maybe a pack of those cigars for this."

"You know they aren't good for you sweetie, you'll die young." My father replied mockingly, gunfire rattling in the background.

"Not as young as these idiots." I retorted plainly.

"Atta girl, meet me at Junior's once you're done, loveyoubye!" Just as quickly as he said goodbye, the call ended. Pocketing my scroll, I knelt on the edge of the roof, placing a hand on the lip. Flowing my Aura into my hand, I used my semblance to construct a rope of Aura and rappelled off the roof. My semblance allows me to create tethers of Aura, varying in strength and properties as I see fit. I can launch these tethers or attach them to surfaces I touch. Landing silently on the concrete below, I reached under my coat once more, my fingers searching for my mask.

With the rise of the White Fang as a terrorist organisation, I 'kindly' borrowed some of their property, namely a full face mask. Adding a hood to hide my silver hair, I also sprayed my father's symbol onto it, a Jack-O'-Lantern. This distinguished me from the animals, making me recognisable and feared as 'Roman's Reaper'. From the shadows of an alley I peered out, perfectly timed to watch a car rapidly pull into a hidden entrance. It seemed that our only remaining rival in the underworld had fled once shit hit the fan. Finding out the location of his safehouse had been easy, Hei 'Junior' Xiong had become a trusted info broker over the years, and extorting information out of him was not hard.

Messing with Junior had become a habit, but I did not have time to reminisce. Dashing across the street once I was certain I had no onlookers, I leapt into the air halfway, pulling myself onto the roof with a tether. From above I surveyed the courtyard the car had pulled into. Guards littered the area, on edge as their boss calmly emerged from his car. Normally I would be quick, lethal. Yet tonight I felt like a show, and I blame my father for every reason. Crafting a tether strong enough to hold my weight, but thin enough to seem invisible, I strolled down the wall, clicking the heels of my boots. Constant clicking drew the attention of the crime syndicate members below me, the younger, inexperienced thugs staring up at me in fear.

As I touched the ground softly, I looked up, moonlight fully revealing my modified Grimm mask. Chaos erupted, and it was extremely amusing to watch grown men figuratively shit themselves. Some thugs ran to escape, only for me to reach into my coat and fling knives into their backs. The braver criminals grabbed their weapons and opened fire. Gunfire rippled past me as I dashed for the nearest thug, using him as a human shield. Once he had been sufficiently riddled with bullets, I dropped him and threw more knives with deadly accuracy, piercing throats and hearts. Out of cover but close enough to attack, I reached for my blade: Reticent Parting. A straight, white blade plunged into the heart of the nearest thug, all the way down to the black handle. Ripping it out by the ring on the end, I threw the blade cleanly through another thug's neck. Two thugs took their chance at my apparent lack of weaponry, slashing with basic red cleavers. Dodging back with little effort, I clenched my throwing hand into a fist, pulling on the thin tether connected to the ring on my blade. Slipping between the two, I met my blade halfway, spinning to decapitate both in one swing.

Sweeping my blade to clear the blood off it, I glanced around for the crime boss, seeing him cowering behind his car. Taking a page from my father, I twirled my blade by the ring, exaggerating my steps as I walked round the car. Once he was in full view, he opened fire in blind panic with his pistol. I deflected every shot that did not go stray, not breaking my stride. Placing a foot on his groin I mocked him.

"This is a cruel world isn't it?" His eyes widened at my youthful voice. "Surprised? Everyone is." My voice brimmed with confidence, belittling a once feared crime lord. Sighing as he simply whimpered, I raised my blade to his heart. "At least my dad didn't have you at his mercy. I won't hurt you like he would. Of course…" I drove the blade in, only moonlight shining in his eyes now. "… You'll be dead before you feel pain." Removing the blade, I wiped it on his shirt and returned it to its sheath, hidden under my coat. Gathering my knives took little time, but as I returned them to their slots I spotted bullet holes in my coat. My father was going to get a slap for tonight.

* * *

 **Weeks before the events of RWBY:**

Being on top of Vale's criminal underworld was… boring. My father was always busy ensuring the cops and the Huntsmen who believe it was there 'duty' to clean the streets off our backs. So here I was, dangling my feet off a catwalk near the roof of our warehouse, bored.

 _I wish Neo was here, she's always fun._ Neo had been picked up by Roman just under a year ago when she was hired to kill him by an up and coming rival. Luckily for my father, Neo knew nothing of my existence. It was the first time anyone has ever kept up with me in a fight besides my father. And I loved it. I remember how Neo's face lit up when Roman offered to hire her instead. Then mine did too as I realised I had a potential friend. Although Neo was not happy that I hugged her so tightly. I had to be pried off the girl and then sent to eliminate the rival, which I was not happy about. Over the year we became inseparable, apart from jobs. I could talk, train and enjoy life with Neo, it did not matter that she never spoke. But right now Neo was out of Vale, and I had nothing to do.

"Well, hello, gorgeous." Looking down from the catwalk, I saw my father talking with a black-haired woman. From above I could not get a good look, but the woman was flanked by another girl with green hair, and a grey-haired boy. Rather than acting on protective instinct, I watched from above, listening to the conversation.

"You are Roman Torchwick?" Her voice was sultry, and my father was enraptured.

"Indeed I am," eyeing her up and down, he leaned casually on Melodic Cudgel. "May I have your name beautiful?"

"Cinder."

"Well… Cinder. How may I, help you?" Roman worked his charm, constantly displaying confidence in front of the woman.

"I plan to change this world, and I can offer you a… valuable partnership, if you help me." A partnership? That perked my interest. This woman wanted to work on even terms with us. My gaze flitted between my father and the woman, waiting for a response.

"Hmm. I'd be lying if I said you didn't have my interest." Without being able to see his face, I knew my father was grinning. "Perhaps me and thee could talk… privately." He nodded towards the duo behind Cinder.

"I see no problem in it. This deal will be very… beneficial to both of us." Cinder walked incredibly close to my father, playing on his weakness for attractive women. Looking over her shoulder, she addressed her minions. "Wait here, and try to… entertain yourselves."

"I believe I can help with that." I saw my father look directly at me, through the darkness of the warehouse. "Caira sweetie, why don't you greet our guests?" I pulled myself up, slipping on my trench coat before jumping off the catwalk. Landing behind our guests almost silently with my hands in my pockets, I got a proper look at Cinder. Gorgeous was an accurate description; medium black hair which covered one amber eye, a crimson dress and matching sleeves. She stood a little taller than myself, but looked hardly any older than me. Her whole being put me on edge.

With a dismissive backhand wave I spoke to my father, "Go on, go talk business."

"No introductions? A little cold don't you think sweetie?"

Flicking my eyes between Cinder, her grey-haired associate and the green-haired girl, I answered. "Just go make a deal, I can introduce myself y'know." Cinder smiled, approvingly or maliciously it was hard to tell. Roman huffed, guiding Cinder away with a gentlemanly bow. As I watched them go I noticed the duo shift uncomfortably, unsure what to do.

I looked both up and down. The boy wore black and grey clothing, matching his semi-slicked back hair and grey eyes. As far as I could tell he had no weapons on him. I inclined my head as if to ask his name. "Mercury." He said confidently. Just as I was sizing him up, he was eyeing me up, both sexually and cautiously.

Switching to the girl, she had her hair tied back in a shorter ponytail than mine and stared with dark-red eyes. Sporting a short top and green pants, she had leather armour covering her legs. Behind her back were two pistols. Repeating the same action I got a more reserved response. "Emerald."

"Caira, as you heard." I replied politely. "And I'm guessing…" I pointed to Mercury, basing my claims from experience. "… Assassin." Shifting my hand to Emerald, I did the same. "Thief."

"How did you-?" They jumped into combat stances, Emerald with her hands behind her back

"Takes one to know one." I interrupted. The standoff lasted a few more seconds as they processed my words, then Mercury smirked.

"Then we'll get along great." He smirked walking up to try and wrap an arm round me, but I batted it away.

"Ah ah ah, too close buddy." I took a step back and glared at him. "I know your type."

"Aww come on, buddies are supposed to be close." Mercury joked.

"Yeah, no" I responded dryly, walking past him and into his blind spot, I stole his wallet. "Honestly, I think I have a bit more in common with Emerald." I chucked the wallet to her and grinned.

"Hey! When-?" Mercury scowled at me as Emerald laughed.

"I'm a professional buddy, maybe you can learn something." I taunted as I walked in front of him.

Mercury did not take kindly to being humiliated. "Maybe I'll teach you a lesson!" He lashed out with a lightning-fast kick which caught me off guard. Knocked back a few feet I flipped to gain distance, drawing my blade in the process. Martial arts were not my strong suit, but with Reticent Parting out I could keep up my defence against the barrage of kicks. Normally I could find an opening in seconds, but Mercury's skill was a level equal to if not better than Neo. My chance came as Mercury grabbed my arm and attempted to flip me over. Mimicking Neo's acrobatics, I allowed his throw to follow through, but smacked him across the face with the ring on my blade and landed on my toes. Before I could follow through however, a shout halted the fight.

"CAIRA!" I paused to see my father and Cinder pacing towards me. "Why do we not start fights in the warehouse?" The tone was of parent, but laced with his common sarcasm. Fortunately for me, I picked up on a key word.

"Whoever said I _started_ the fight." I shifted my eyes to Mercury, who had been grinning. The grinning stopped when Cinder's gaze homed in on him. He was quick to rub the back of his head and bow it in shame.

"Uh… sorry?"

Roman laughed. "I told you she's sharp. I'm not a major fan of the idea, but she'll fit in easily at Beacon." It felt good to be complimented in front of the trio, but that turned to confusion at the mention of Beacon.

"Umm… care to explain the whole… Beacon, thing?"

Cinder spoke up casually. "I will explain soon, first I need to… retrieve something." Walking up to me, she leaned in and whispered to me. "Just know that I have high hopes, and big plans for you, Caira." I shivered slightly as she touched my cheek softly, Cinder's words were chilling when spoken so calmly. The crimson woman began to make her way out of the warehouse.

"How long do you expect us to wait before stealing Dust?" My father asked.

"Not long, soon I will provide you with the means to make larger gambles." Cinder replied without breaking stride.

I watched the woman leave our hideout, her hips swaying seductively. Mercury turned to wink at me, which I returned with a scowl. Looking up to my father beside me, I nudged him to break his gaze from our new business partner's ass.

"You know, staring is only going to get you a slap." I jested while raising a hand, earning a small smirk from the crime boss.

"Ya know kid, she's just like you. Pretty, silver-tongued… and scary." Roman replied.

"I'll take the first two, but scary doesn't come close." Cinder's demeanour frightened me. Calm and collected in front of the man who runs Vale's criminal underworld and his best assassin. Not once did she falter when I stared at her, and I've made hardened criminals try and run for their mothers. Emphasis on try. Naturally I've worked to be known by reputation only, the police have no concrete photos of 'Roman's Reaper', but I felt that somehow she knew, and did not care. "Honestly I don't entirely trust any of them."

"Well whatever she wants us to do I don't care, this is going to be fun!" It pleased me to see my father have so much energy.

"Stealing Dust will be change for you, but we don't have the men for it. Perhaps you could make a trip to Junior's?"

I felt my father ruffle my hair, much to my annoyance. "Aww kid you make me proud. You've learnt so much." Pushing his hand away, I noticed him smiling warmly at me. "Just remember to do what we Torchwick's do best, and Beacon will be a breeze. So Caira, what do we do best?"

I answered, matching his smile with a mischievous grin. "Lie, steal, cheat, and survive."

* * *

 **Well that was fun! Honestly I prefer writing villains over heroes, so much you can do, and no moral limits!**

 **Still open to original character ideas for my remaining two team members, R and H of RCHD.**

 **Speaking of original characters, here is a teaser for next chapter.**

 **Wardtortle, out!**

* * *

 _"Seriously kid, you do_ not _want to go looking for Roman's Reaper. Now move along, blondie behind you wants a word."_

 _"You two ruined my evening, but~ Junior did have it coming."_

 _"We never really got to talk over all the explosions, what's your name?"_

 _"Daniel. Daniel Tanian."_


	2. Daniel

**Hello hello! Back again with chapter 2. This took far too long between work, Overwatch and general procrastination. I'll try to be quicker but I can't make any promises with my workload in the summer.**

 **Either way, I hope you enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: Daniel**

* * *

Caira

* * *

 **Junior's Club:**

Hei 'Junior' Xiong sweated as my father stared at him, waiting for Junior's answer to his offer. From a booth in the shadows of the info broker's club I watched, my entire form melded with the shadow. I enjoyed observing the fools who came to the club to have fun. People who lived boring lives and thought this club was a highlight of their existences. They were truly pathetic. As amusing as the public were to me, Junior's haggling was a real show. The giant club owner nervously adjusted his tie in hopes to buy more time to think. Fear is a powerful motivator, and we Torchwick's can wield it well. My amusement slowly turned to boredom, the same boredom I could see painted all over my father's face. I drank my alcoholic beverage and watched more. The Mistralian whiskey was generously served on the house to me of course.

Not wanting to move from my comfortable alcove, it whipped out my scroll and sent a message to my father lazily.

 _C: Hurry him up, Dust shops close soon and this is just sad to watch._

 _R: Will do sweetie. Though you aren't robbing them._

As my father tapped out the final letter and sent the message back, inched closer to Junior, pressuring for an answer. Caving into his fear, Junior agreed to lend some of his men to us for another month of us keeping the police off his back. I sighed loudly, not that anyone could hear me over the pulsing music, let alone see me. I couldn't really believe I wanted Beacon to start already, I was bored waiting even more than when we did not work with Cinder. Taking another sip of my whiskey and letting the burning sensation coat my throat, I glanced to the entrance. Roman was leaving with his newly acquired men as a boy in a black leather jacket and matching slicked back hair wandered into the club. Normally I would ignore new arrivals, but this boy carried two steel cylinders with white rings down them on his back. Immediately interested, I leaned back in my booth with glass in hand, and watched. I was so engrossed with the club's new arrival, I failed to notice a blonde bombshell enter not long after him.

* * *

Daniel

* * *

Energy filled me as I could feel the pulsing music through the floor. A vibrant club with deafening beats greeted me through the doors. Brushing past a man in a white suit, I scanned the club, homing in on the bar and a sharply dressed giant of a man. Making assumptions from how the other similarly dressed me acted around him, this man, was Junior. If he was, then all I needed to do was ask him a few questions, get an understanding of how Vale ran as a city. After all, it would be my home for the next four years if I passed Beacon's initiation exam. Strolling confidently up to the bar, which the man leaned over, seemingly upset or annoyed. All the while, I had a prickling feeling, one which meant I was being watched. Though in a club that was not a rare thing, I'm not exactly bad to look at. Making the short trip to the bar, I leaned on it next to Junior and spoke, not looking at him.

"Are you Junior?" I asked loud enough to overcome the music. I could see the man react in my peripherals, turning properly to look at me.

"I am, what brings a kid like you to my club?"

"Oh not much really, just needed some information. Police, criminals, the general situation." Junior's eyes narrowed.

"None of that is cheap kid, especially the criminal info. You've got to have heard of Roman and his Reaper right?" The tone was professional, but laced with nerves.

"Yeah yeah, who hasn't?" Pushing off the bar, I looked directly at Junior with a smirk. "Roman's Reaper sounds like a fun time."

Junior stared, visibly annoyed at my attitude, speaking coldly. "Seriously kid, you do _not_ want to go looking for Roman's Reaper. Now move along, blondie behind you wants a word." I spun round to behold a gorgeous blonde of the same age as me eyeing me up. She wore a yellow top that held some impressive breasts, a brown jacket and an orange scarf. Notably, her hair flowed to her waist as a golden man. On her wrists she wore twin golden bracelets. Matching the grin painted on her face, I winked at her and beckoned for her to take my place.

"All yours beautiful. I wouldn't want to keep someone like you waiting." Stepping away from the bar I quickly turned to Junior. "We'll take later Junior, have fun!" Taking a good few paces away, I caught a few words of their conversation. But soon the words were replaced with squealing. Snapping round, I saw a sight no man would enjoy. Blondie had a vice grip over Junior's privates. I wanted to interrupt to spare Junior the horrifying position he was in, but the girl was viciously interrogating him. Also, I valued my own jewels over his.

Soon the girl seemingly got what she wanted and let go. Junior quickly paced from the bar to avoid further embarrassment. I watched the blonde bombshell follow him, a playful and innocent look on her face. It looked like she was trying to make up for crushing his manhood, leaning in for a kiss. But as Junior inched closer he vanished, replaced with one of the blonde's fists. I've never had pity for a criminal before, but Junior deserved some. Pity needed to wait though. Henchmen swarmed the blonde girl, being beaten down as they approached. Suddenly she leapt high up in the air, slamming back down with a powerful punch. Steadying myself against the shockwave, I saw her bracelets had extended into gauntlets, shotgun gauntlets!

Instinctively I joined the fray fists swinging. Adrenaline pumped through me as each hit landed, incapacitating opponents left and right. Blades and bullets cut through the air towards me, forcing me to weave between them, rolling along the floor to escape being surrounded. Now that the weapons were being brought out, I drew mine. Reaching behind my back I felt the handles of my weapons. I lifted the metal tonfa off my back, twirling them in a standard grip so they protected my arms. Blocking a downwards swing from a machete, I jabbed with my free arm, launching the man back with an explosive impact.

Any remaining henchmen were soon scattered around the club, broken or unconscious. Looking around I saw blondie smashing the DJ into his own equipment before throwing him to the floor. To my disappointment, this cut out the music. Walking up slowly, I called out to her as she hopped down from the DJ booth.

"You really know how to liven a party. Poor choice with the music though."

"Eh, the DJ wasn't really that good." She quipped back. I was going to reply when a new voice spoke from behind me.

"Melanie, who are these two?" Asked a girl in red, wielding crimson claws.

"I don't know Miltia, but we should teach them a lesson." Answered the girl in light blue, Melanie, wearing some deadly looking heels.

"So, ladies choice, which one do you want? Tweedledum or Tweedledee?" I asked, turning to my ally as she reloaded her gauntlets. She laughed.

"I can take them both," she boasted. "But I'll go for Miss Claws over there." She pointed at Miltia, before launching concussive blasts at her.

"Fine by me." I dashed forwards, swapping my grip to extend the range of my strikes. I jumped and spun vertically, slamming down with the end one tonfa before using it to push off the ground and repeat the slam. Stinging pain slashed across my face as Melanie hit me with one of her heels, disrupting my attack and sending me rolling a few feet. Counterattacking, Melanie launched at me with her bladed heels, her attacks almost like dancing. Once I had regained my footing and deflected her kicks, I returned the favour. As she kicked high, I blocked and then wrapped my arm round her leg to hold her off balance. Tripping her standing leg, I let go and slammed both ends of my tonfa into her stomach. The girl impacted with the ground and lied there stunned. Taking a chance to glance at the other two 'dancers', I saw blondie send Miltia flying into and through glass pillar, shattering it.

I smirked and gave a little wave, which she returned and walked towards me. But the fight was not over, lights changed and the disco floor was lit up brightly. Junior strolled into sight, wielding a rocket launcher.

"You're going to pay for this." He said, the line was horribly cliché, but I had little time to complain as his launcher spewed half a dozen rockets. Luckily my blonde ally was quick to react, firing back to destroy the rockets. Smoke layered the space between us and Junior, but I could hear the faint sound of mecha-shifting. Not that it mattered. From the smoke a giant baseball bat swung at me, catching me cleanly off-guard. Blunt force really stings through Aura, but not as much as being launched across the club and into the booths.

My body ached as I slammed into a table, a chair and a wall. Thankfully my Aura had tanked most of the damage. Once I had regained my bearings I realised I was lying on a booth sofa, dangerously close to a pair of legs wrapped in white leggings. Mental gears moved slowly, forcing me to look up at an extremely unamused girl. Her hair was a pure silver colour, unlike anything I'd seen before. Pale skin glared in the darkness of the booth, combined with a stare from deep blue eyes. I pushed up off the sofa, taking in her full appearance. She was slender, her frame hidden behind a red top and a white sleeveless jacket. Explosions snapped me from my staring as I saw Junior go flying out of club through an upper window. The blonde looked downright murderous as she followed her poor victim through the window. I wanted to chase after them, or at least I would have if I did not have a blade to my throat.

"Going somewhere buddy?" Spoke a soft voice from the girl. Without my weapons, which laid on the club floor, I could do nothing.

"Um… no?" I replied nervously.

"Right answer. You two ruined my evening, but~ Junior had it coming." The blade was moved away from my throat and I sighed in relief. "So to make it up to me, you spilt my drink so why don't you go see what Junior has left behind that bar and bring it to me?" Alluring but threatening summed up the girl.

"Got a preference?" I asked.

"Anything strong." Was her reply.

"Are you-?" A blade cut off my question. "Right, right. Strong stuff." Slipping out of the booth I started walking to the bar, eyeing my tonfa all the time. Rather than being a normal person and walking round the bar, I hopped over the counter and picked up any bottles left intact. Whiskey, vodka, rum, you name it and I had it. I returned to the booth feeling like a personal waiter to the girl by carrying arms full of bottles. Setting them down gently, I gave an exaggerated sweeping gesture to pick a bottle.

"Aww, you're too kind." She mocked, picking out a few and dropping them into a satchel at her feet. "Normally I'd stay and drink with you but I'm not too fond of getting arrested the night before Beacon. See ya!" And with that she hopped up with her satchel and jogged out the door.

"Hey! Hold up!" I shouted after her, knowing it was pointless. I sighed loudly to myself, trudging across the club dance floor to pick up my weapons. My only solace was that she mentioned Beacon, which meant we would meet again. Walking into the crisp night air of Vale, the blonde was gone too, leaving only Junior lying unconscious on the floor. Being ditched by two lovely ladies in one night did no good for my morale, so I decided to call it a night, retiring to the hotel room hired out for prospective Beacon students.

* * *

 **Beacon - Day One:**

I always wondered how deep Beacon's pockets were, the sheer scale and grandeur of the school was astounding. But I was only one of the many first years gawking at Beacon in the sunlight. One student though, was gawking at weapons, especially mine.

"Ooh! Ooh! Sis! He has tonfa! I've never seen them outside of magazines!" I twisted my head to look over my shoulder. Behind me stood a fairly small girl wrapped in a red cloak, wide-eyed. Soon the cloak's hood was dragged over her face by another student who looked amazingly familiar.

"Rubes it's rude to stare." Spoke the other student, who I recognised by voice as the blonde from last night.

"It's also rude to ditch a guy at a club." I quipped, both girls jumped. I laughed and turned fully round, meeting eyes with the girls. "I saw what you did to Junior by the way."

She laughed as she recounted last night. "Yeah, he messed with my hair, nobody does. How come you didn't come back and help?"

"I could ask you the same thing." I retorted. "Turns out there was another girl watching from a booth. She wasn't happy I crashed into it and spilt her drink."

"How unhappy did that make her?" The younger girl asked.

"Blade to the throat unhappy." I responded casually, causing the red girl to shift uncomfortably. The pause was awkward, before the blonde spoke up once more.

"So~. We never really got to talk over all the explosions and fighting, what's your name?" She asked.

"Daniel. Daniel Tanian." I answered, producing my right hand to shake. "How about you?"

"I'm Yang." She shook my hand with a strong grip. "And this adorable weapon-addict is my little sister Ruby." Yang gave Ruby a big one-armed hug.

"Yaaaaaaang!" Cried Ruby in adorable protest. I could not help myself but laugh at Ruby.

Speaking to Yang, I grinned widely. "Well Yang, if you ever plan another night out like last night, then this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

"Looking forward to it Dan." Yang answered with a matching grin.

My start at Beacon was going smoothly, but good things never last as I spotted someone I never expected to be at Beacon. No, that can't be right, it makes no sense for her to be at Beacon! Trying my best to hide my shock, I backed away from the sisters smiling.

"I'll see you two around, I want to explore." I waved and made my way down the path towards Beacon.

"Catch ya later!" Called Yang from behind me.

"Bye!" Was all Ruby could say, still recovering from almost being hugged to I had made sufficient distance between myself and the girls I breathed deeply. Life at Beacon was going to be far more complicated than ever.

* * *

 **A shorter chapter I know, but backstory for other characters will come later.**

 **Additionally, rather than a teaser for a new chapter, I'm going to give you the first draft paragraph or so of my crossover I'll be releasing once I've got a good distance into this fic.**

 **Without further ado, enjoy!**

 **Wardtortle out!**

* * *

Death and screams filled the city, but on the rooftop of the cathedral, only the hum of a mechanical orb could be heard. Said orb rolled from the grip of a now dead woman, stopping at the feet of a slightly overweight man. Picking up the orb and gazing at it, he gripped it tight in his left hand, his right holding a long-barrelled revolver. Behind his sunglasses he stared sadly at the crimson and pale man before him, who took a few paces away from the woman he had just killed. Both stared at each other, two brothers in all but blood now facing each other with regret for what they were about to do. After the brief pause, the crimson man smiled sadly.

"Half as long..." He uttered in a gravelly voice, laced with sorrow.

The larger man replied with equal sadness before raising his revolver at his brother. "... twice as bright."


	3. The Archer and the Gladiator

**Wardtortle here! Survived a weekend of hell working, but now I can get back to this fic for you all!**

 **Big announcements at the end, so please enjoy! Don't forget to leave reviews, I really appreciate any feedback.**

* * *

 **Chapter 3 - The Archer and the Gladiator:**

* * *

Magnus

* * *

Crowds always annoyed me. The lack of space and stifling air metaphorically suffocated me. Why couldn't Ozpin hurry up? I'm Vacuoan, indoor spaces like this just don't suit me! As I barged through the crowd to find some decent space I came across an interesting individual. Clad in bronze and gold, with flowing red hair, stood Pyrrha Nikos. Even on the other side of Remnant, her combat and academic achievements made her well known as a prodigy. Perhaps her company was tolerable amongst this sea of bodies. But she was not alone, another teen stood next to her awkwardly. Dark green armour covered his right arm in segmented panels from shoulder to wrist. Connected by leather straps was a matching metal breastplate with a decent gap between his right shoulder and the plate. Underneath his armour he wore a black t-shirt and brown pants. As I pulled up alongside them I got a better look at the lightly tanned boy, who sported spiky green hair and oddly enough, gold irises.

On approach I caught the end of their conversation, "…be proud you made it to Beacon." Pyrrha was encouraging the boy next to her.

"Barely, but I'll try not to let you down." He muttered. That peaked my interest, but I ignored it over introductions.

"Pyrrha Nikos?" I interrupted after coughing into my left hand and pushing up my glasses. Both turned to me. "Magnus Reolin, a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Likewise Magnus, where do you hail from?" Pyrrha said as she shook my hand.

"Unsurprisingly Vacuo, I know my behaviour doesn't really match our culture but I pride myself in proper conduct." I stood upright with almost noble posture.

"I… see. Oh, this is Ryon Evergreen. We studied at Sanctum together." Pyrrha stepped back to allow Ryon to speak. Evergreen sounded familiar, but I could not pin down where I heard it.

"A pleasure." I presented my hand once more.

"Um… sure." He shook my hand then retreated to watch the stage.

Ringing echoed through the auditorium as the Headmaster of Beacon stepped up for his speech. Although my chance to speak with a respected prodigy was interrupted, I knew I would have more chances.

* * *

 **Beacon Courtyard – After the speech:**

Against my want to speak with Pyrrha I left rather quickly from the auditorium, I could only take so much proximity to a large number of people in an enclosed space. Fresh air reminded me of home, albeit a little colder than the deserts of Vacuo. With a lot of time to waste between now and sleep, I wanted to get in some practice before initiation. But where could I find somewhere to practice? I wandered around for the good part of an hour, but nowhere seemed secluded enough. Groups of giggling girls or loud boys littered such a prestigious school, and it irritated me. I sighed loudly, breaking away from the multitude of crowds and cliques. After another five minutes of aimless wandering, I came across a clearing that suited my needs. But I was not alone.

In the middle of the field danced Ryon Evergreen. And by danced I meant twirling a poleaxe deftly around himself, slashing and striking intermittently, as if fighting invisible opponents. The fluidity of his movements were impressive, and curiosity got the better of my usually refined and controlled nature. I reached behind my back, unhooking Blind Bolt, my steel longbow. The bow extended from its sheathed form, gears whirring and the additions clicking into place. With my right hand I lifted the top off my quiver, reaching for an arrow. Nocking it to my bowstring, I flicked a lever by my left thumb. Familiar clicking sounded as the inner workings of my bulky longbow flicked through its settings. Achieving the setting I wanted; blunt arrows, the arrow I had knocked shifted and morphed into a blunt end. Satisfied, I took aim at Ryon, drawing back, breathing, and then letting my arrow fly.

I was, however, unsatisfied with the result. With a loud thud, my blunt arrow hit the tanned boy square in the small of his back. Disrupted by the force of impact, Ryon fell flat on the ground in a rather quickly. I huffed disappointed. From his display he seemed extremely talented, but my arrow showed he had no spatial awareness. Then it clicked why I had high expectations. The Evergreens were a prominent Mistralian family, famous for producing at least one amazing Huntsman or Huntress per generation. Before leaving for Beacon, I had revised prominent combat families and prodigies, since knowing your enemy was half the battle. Which made this boy…

"I'm a little disappointed, Hyperion Evergreen." Instantly the boy shot up, gold eyes burning.

"Never call me that!" Ryon snarled. "Especially after shooting an arrow in my back!" I was taken back a little by his demeanour, but he was right. I had been… insensitive.

"My apologies Hy-, Ryon. I was impressed with your display and I wanted to test your senses and reflexes."

"Apology accepted… I guess." He breathed out deeply, visibly tired between his training and the brief verbal skirmish. Wanting to ease the tension, I swapped topic.

"So how come you know Pyrrha Nikos?" In hindsight it was a pointless question, since every Evergreen went to Sanctum, and so did Pyrrha. But, an icebreaker is an icebreaker I suppose.

"Um well, we both went to Sanctum and met early on. Ya know, before she became… famous." Famous was putting it lightly, Pyrrha was an idol to many young Huntsman and Huntress aspirants, and an extremely valuable asset to businesses. Celebrity was a better word. "No matter what though, we'd always spar and train together, and I'm grateful for it." A small smile formed on Ryon's face, his eyes betraying him that he was recounting good memories. It clicked that I had wasted more valuable training time as I processed Ryon's words. This clearing was perfect for practicing my aim too. Trees stood a good distance around with thick enough trunks to be targets.

"Mind if we train together? I mean you seem to have your own routine, but a little company would not hurt, right?" Ryon cocked his eyebrow as I woke him from his thoughts, then he smiled once more.

"Sure, you might want to stand a good distance away though, I do tend to move a bit too much when practicing." Ryon picked up his weapon, taking a few steps back before dropping it a semi-crouched stance, the blade of his weapon pointing to the ground. Which I swore glowed brightly in the sun, or was it glare?

"Noted." Similarly I stepped back, but not before picking up my arrow. Comfortable with my distance, I soaked in the warm sunlight, remembering home to calm myself. Then I nocked my arrow, flicking the lever again until the tip if said arrow was a simple arrowhead once more. I picked the furthest visible tree I could and fired straight at it. Unlike more rustic bows, Blind Bolt had been designed with mechanical assistance to the string. This meant that my arrows could fly straighter for greater distances and be devastating at closer ranges. My arrows were the other half of the boosted range; custom-made by my father to overcome wind resistance, change arrowhead and be incredibly durable. Even if they collided with Grimm bone armour they would not shatter. The longbow and the arrows were masterpieces that I could never repay my father for.

As the arrow struck the tree, the satisfying thud echoed back. I smiled slightly at my success, but only repeated successes would truly cure my need to practice. Repeating the shot, I aimed slightly higher, not that anyone would notice due to how miniscule the adjustment was. Steadying my stance, I drew an arrow and fired. Before the arrow even struck the tree I had nocked the next and let loose. Rinse and repeat for seven more shots, and I had a fairly neat line up the tree. I doubted that the line was perfect but from over fifty metres I could not complain nor see any arrows askew from the others.

Relaxing my posture just a little, I looked over at Ryon, who was now spinning his… bardiche? My knowledge of weapons surprised me sometimes, but that weapon was an obscure and strange one. A golden, curved blade sat atop the deep green handle, with a hole big enough to fit a head near the base of the blade. The weapon was enrapturing, but as the sun set, it lost the shine which puzzled and intrigued me.

* * *

Ryon

* * *

Sunset interrupted my routine. A red sky signalling it was time to leave the clearing. Given the choice I would've stayed practicing my form all night. But no matter how much I wanted- no, _needed_ to improve, rest and a healthy body took priority. Placing the bottom end of my bardiche, Physis, into the ground I leaned on it as I caught my breath. I glanced towards the clean cut brown-haired boy, Magnus, who stood proudly with his bow. Aside from his rather plain, rectangular glasses, he was garbed in golden sleeveless top and baggy leggings with black sandals. A brown leather wrist brace adorned his left arm to protect it from his bowstring. As I watched my fellow student head to retrieve his arrows, I noticed how his arrows were all neatly lining the trees, not one out of place. I could almost see the pride radiating off Magnus, but it was dangerously close to arrogance. Shifting my weight to stand on my own two feet, I called out to Magnus.

"Hey Magnus! I'm calling it quits for today." I saw Magnus look over his shoulder, then give a curt wave as a goodbye. Oum did I need to get some rest, I had lost myself in my practice, neglecting to take breaks. I was no good to anyone, especially my family, if I could not function on initiation day. Thankfully, Professor Goodwitch had been fairly informative on where we were to stash our weapons and would be sleeping. It did not take me long to find the lockers. Collapsing Physis into its semi-circular blade form, I rested it in my locker. Content, I turned to leave, bumping into an unknown person in the doorway.

"Oof" I fell to the floor on my backside, a little dazed. Craning my head up to look at who I had collided with, I was met with a beautiful silver-haired girl clad in red and white casuals. If only her attitude was as good as her looks.

"Jeez, nobody watches where they're going but me." Two deep blue orbs glared and judged me as I stared back. With arms crossed she awaited a response, which required a little prompting.

"You know staring will only get you slapped." I bolted up, scratching my head sheepishly. "S-sorry, sorry! I should've been more careful."

She sighed, "Just… watch it buddy." Pushing past me, the girl stashed away her own weapon as well as a few pouches wrapped around her waist. Once she had left the locker room I walked alongside her a little bit, given the ballroom was in the same direction. I made nervous glances at her, getting glimpses of pale skin and an unemotional face. It didn't take long for her to break the ice.

"So are you going to keep glancing like a creep, or speak up?" She asked with an irritated tone. Caught in the act, I stumbled over my own words.

"I-uh, well…"

This time she sighed loudly, her shoulders dropping slightly. A pale hand extended with an emotionless introduction.

"Caira." Fairly quickly I shook her hand, trying to forget about the awkwardness of the situation.

"Ryon."

"So Ryon, how'd you get into Beacon?" I found the question odd and also demeaning, but answered anyway.

"I'm an Evergreen, it is my entire purpose to be a Huntsman."

"Okay~" Caira sounded unsure on how to respond, so I continued.

"My family has produced exceptional Huntsmen and Huntresses for generations. Not every one of us becomes great Hunters, but I…still have expectations to meet." My answer wasn't the entire truth, but Caira didn't need to know that. The journey to the ballroom was short and our conversation was cut off as soon as we entered the door. The ballroom was littered with mattresses topped with students, girls and guys chatting amongst their friend groups or strutting in front of others to show off.

"Tch, vain idiots." I heard Caira mumble, commenting on the guys flexing their muscles topless.

"Not a fan of show-offs?" I asked.

"Let's say I prefer not to drag things out too much. Dramatic displays are fun, but only if you can get stuff done quickly once the show is over."

"I get what you mean." I replied, hoping to gain some favour with Caira. She took note and added to our conversation with a slight smirk.

"Then we'll get along just fine." I felt a hand clap me on the back quite hard, a sign of approval.

"That's… good to hear. Perhaps you'll make your point at initiation tomorrow." I stated, watching for more emotion to get a read on Caira.

"Oh I plan to." Her reply gave me slight shivers, the vibe I got from that one statement was a scary one. Not that it lasted long as the silver-haired girl yawned loudly.

"Y'know, rather than discuss ideals, I'm going to go find a nice spot to sleep. Preferably away from the idiots." Caira gestured to the other guys for me, not that I already knew who she meant.

"I'll second that. Catch you in the morning Caira."

Caira replied lazily, her deep blue eyes already scanning for a clear spot to rest. "Yeah, see ya." She was gone, tiptoeing amongst the sea of students before she'd even finished her goodbye. Left to search the hall by myself, I hoped Pyrrha had saved me a spot.

* * *

 **Finally I have all my OCs out in the open for y'all. So now I open the shipping gates to you, I want pairings and names of any combination except harem. I really look forward to what you come up with!**

 **On a personal note, I've moved up a stage in my Royal Navy Officer application. So from now I'm going to be dying physically as I prep for the fitness tests. But don't worry, I'll still have plenty of time for writing, I just wanted to share the good news!**

 **Wardtortle, out!**


End file.
